Lost 13-16 Lbs in 3 weeks, Health Concern Question.

Whats up guys? I believe this will be my first post ever on a workout forum.

I've started my cut exactly three weeks ago with a starting weight of 192-195 (which i consistently weighed in for a month or so between before my cut) and now weigh 179 at 5' 9". I would guess that my BF% is somewhere in the 16-18% range judging from various measurements.

I'm wondering if I should stop at the end of week four due to health issues resulting from losing weight/fat at such a rapid rate. Would it be better to take a few weeks off on a maintenance phase and then restart again or keep on going?

BACKGROUND INFO. I apologize for the long post but skip this background part if you want to go straight to the details.

I used to be REALLY into lifting from age 20-23. At the age of 20, I weighed 240 pounds (was not this big for very long, I weighed 190 or so until I stopped using drugs and then gained a TON of weight from living a clean lifestyle) and I decided to lose the weight and hit 163 lbs in about 4-5 months. From that point on, I stayed between 163-180 or so depending on whether I was cutting or bulking. When I lost this weight, I didn't have a clean diet but rather did it by lifting weights and playing basketball. If my weight loss slowed a little, i just played more ball.

At 24, I moved from Socal to NYC where my lifestyle fell apart. Partied and drank about 4 nights a week and ate like crap, going to the gym on average only once or twice a week but sometimes not going in at all for a month at a time. My problem has always been that my body has reacted very quickly to any type of stimulation and having too much confidence in things that I've yet to achieve. If I wanted to gain strength, it happened at a fairly rapid rate. When I wanted to lose weight, I could drop 10 or 20 pounds usually within a month's time. I think due to this, I never gave it 100% for a long time because I always thought that if I wanted a 6pack, I could in a matter of a few months. I've been one of those guys who looks decent w/ a shirt on but horrible with it off.

3 weeks ago, I went into the gym and then realized that I weighed 195 and was MUCH weaker than I used to be at 163. I regretted that I ever stopped working out regularly and wondered what type of shape I would be in had I kept it up. For the first time in my life, I decided to go on a clean cut and completely clean up my diet for the long hull and dedicate myself to the gym.

DIET

My Base Metabolic Rate was around 2700 calories or so. I used to consistently be at 29xx before, but I figure I have a lot less muscle than before so I subtracted a few. I'm keeping a log on excel of exactly what I eat every day, so let me know if any of you guys would like me to post it.

Basically though, in the first week I consumed 2000-2500 calories a day. Second and third week, between 1500-2000. For the first week, I was adjusting my diet and so I did cardio (10 minutes of HIIT) depending on the diet for the day or the previous day. After I got that dialed in, I stopped doing cardio for my 2nd and 3rd week. I figure I can't eat any less so if I get to a point where I stop losing weight, I'll just start doing a little cardio. Plus I love lifting but I hate cardio.

I also have a cheat meal once a week and it's HUGE. My one Cheat meal makes my daily calorie intake for that day at LEAST 3000 calories, if not higher.

My diet consists of Oatmeal, Ham&Cheese Sandwiches, Protein shakes, Cottage Cheese, Fruits, Veggies and Tuna when I'm at home. However, I eat out one meal per day but I try to order the healthiest thing on the menu (with good carbs whenever possible, for example asking brown rice or whole grain bread instead of white).

I supplement with a Multi-V, Fish Oil, Flax Seed Oil and a little bit of creatine mixed into my post workout shake for recovery.

WORKOUT

I hit up the gym 4-5 days a week. I hit one muscle group each time I work out, but then at the end of the workout I do 1 set and 1 set only for every other muscle group that I didn't do that day. So for example, on chest day I will do 12-15 sets of Chest exercises followed by 1 set of wide grip pullups (back), 1 set of curls (bi's), 1 set of 1 handed cable pull downs (tri's), 1 set of leg press, and sometimes something for the shoulders but not always as my shoulders get abused during my chest workout. I lift between 45min-1hr every time I step into the gym. I know this might seem like overkill for a guy on a 1000 calorie deficit but I've lost weight and haven't lost too much strength so my body seems to be ok with it.

My Max Bench is probably in the 235-245 range but do sets with 195, give or take a few depending on my energy level. I haven't squatted in a while due to some knee/foot issues. I can do sets of Deadlifts with 225 fairly easy but have not tried to go anywhere near my max. My guess would be in the mid 300 range. Just to give you an idea of what I do at the gym.

I am by no means an expert of any kind and never claimed to be one. This is what works for me but I have no clue if it'll work for others. I haven't gotten sick or felt over trained or malnourished in any way at all. However, I just wanted to get some opinions from the experts on my diet/workout plan.

Do you feel that it is perfectly safe?
Do you think I should stop this cut at 4 weeks and give my body a little bit of rest before starting up again?
Also, any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. If you have any opinions on how to improve my plan, please speak up.

Thanks a lot guys. Hope to be more active on the boards from here on out.

It's nice to see that you're done your homework as far as determining your BMR and caloric intake, congrads on the the discipline. 13-16 lbs weight loss in 3 weeks is pretty rapid weight loss. How much of that is water and lean mass would be hard to determine, usually the best indicator is going to be the mirror IMO. Reducing your total intake of calories is going to have some effect on your lean muscle mass, and it would probably be easier on your body if you kept it around -500 from maintenance. Granted, it will be slower weight loss but you'll most likely preserve more lean tissue . If you feel the need to take a break after 4 weeks then by all means go for it, if your body is telling you it needs a break then listen to it.